Christmas Surprise
by NewVoice
Summary: Katie's having a miserable Christmas. Can a surprise from a certain someone turn it all around? ONESHOT Tratie-ish


Snow swirled across the strawberry fields. The canoe lake was frozen. Icicles hung from the sides of cabins. An eight-foot fir tree stood in-front of the Big House, decorated with tinsel and bobbles and topped with a star. It was Christmas eve at Camp Half-Blood and Katie Gardner couldn't have been more miserable.

Katie was sitting on her bunk in the Demeter Cabin looking at the present in her hand from her dad, tossing it from her left hand to her right hand. She sighed and put the present down on the floor, not even bothering to open it. Now usually Katie would be all ovefr the Christmas spirit. Decorating the house, helping make Christmas dinner, singing carols at the top of her lungs, having fun just spending time at home with her dad.

That was before he got married.

This year her dad had politely asked her to stay at Camp for the year, saying that his new wife wouldn't be use to monsters attacking and he was going to slowly ease her into the idea of having a demi-god step-daughter. So instead of the festive holiday she was use to, she was stuck at camp. Alone in her cabin. Even her siblings who stay year round got to go home for Christmas. Leaving Katie with nothing to do but lie on her bed and think about how miserable she was.

Katie sighed again and flopped down on her pillows. It was only 7:30 at night but she was seriously considering just going to bed to avoid the long night ahead. Katie turned on her side and hugged her pillow, trying to get comfortable. After a few minutes she could feel herself drifting to sleep.

_Thud._

Katie sat up and looked at the window right beside her bed. Bits of slow clung to the glass. Someone had thrown a snowball at it. Katie shrugged it off and lied back down. After a few minutes sleep started to come again.

_Thud._

Katie sat up again, annoyed this time. Two times meant that it wasn't an accident and someone was purposely throwing things at her cabin. Getting out of bed Katie reached for her parka and snow boots. Whoever thought it would be funny to mess with her in the middle of her moping was dead. Pulling her toque over her waving brunette hair she opened the door to the Demeter cabin and stepped outside.

The cold December air blew into Katie's face as soon as she stepped outside. Zipping her parka up a bit more, she looked around for the hooligan who was disturbing her sleep. There was no sign of life any where. Taking a few steps to the right she peered around the side of the cabin, hoping to quickly find culprit. No one was in sight. Just as Katie was about to give up she felt something hard and cold hit her in the back of the head. Katie whirled around and saw nothing but a few branches on a nearby tree swinging. Assuming whoever hit her was in that direction, Katie took off towards the tree.

Carefully she moved the branches that stood in her way and glanced around. She found herself entering a small grove type area. It was a small, circular area engulfed by tree's of all sorts. In the middle an oak tree stood tall and proud. It took Katie a minute to realize this is the spot she had planted her own garden the summer previous. She hadn't been there since September and it looked so different in the winter scenery.

Before Katie could even realize what was happening another snowball came flying at her from the direction of the oak tree. If not for her quick demi-god reflexes it would have hit her square in the face. Luckily she had put her arm up in time to block it, the ball bounced harmlessly off her parka sleeve. Katie was really annoyed now. Marching towards the oak tree she was ready to give whoever was harassing her a piece of her mind, and maybe a few bruises too.

So she was very surprised when she walked around to the other side of the tree and saw non other than Travis Stoll, who was grinning like a fool and looking very pleased with himself.

"Hey Katie. Took ya long enough to get the hint. I mean really, i had to hit your window TWICE." Travis grinned. His mischievous eyes were sparkling. "Sorry about the head-shot by the way."

"What are you doing Travis. I was trying to sleep." Katie crossed her arms and stared at Travis, hoping to at least make him feel guilty for disrupting her evening.

"You seemed so bummed out during dinner I thought I'd do something to cheer you up." Travis said, clearly amused at how pissed off Katie was.

"So you decide to throw things at me? Great plan." Katie rolled her eyes and turned to head back to her cabin. She'd had enough of this. She found out who was disturbing her and now just wanted to get back to her miserable evening.

"That was just to get you _here_." Travis said matter-o-factly. "Now it's time to cheer you up."

"Great. Just get it over with so i can go back to sleep." Katie sighed, knowing nothing good can come from a child of Hermes plan.

"Come with me then. Your in for a magical time." Travis held his arm out for Katie to take. Sighing again, Katie took his arm-deciding it would be over sooner if she didn't resist. Travis led her out of the little grove and through the trees. There was no noise except for the infrequent scurry of forest critters or maybe a gust of wind blowing the branches above. Travis didn't even talk, which Katie found highly shocking. When they emerged from the tree's Katie noticed they were at the far end of the camp, far from the Big House and cabins. All that was at that end of camp were a few storage shed's. Travis weaved in and out of the shed's with Katie right behind, until he stopped right in-front of the farthest one.

He turned and looked at Katie, obviously trying to be serious. "I knew that this was your first Christmas at camp so i decided to do something special to help you make the change. Camp Christmas's are really just better food than usual and maybe a gift from your parents if your lucky. So I wanted to give you the type of Christmas your use to." Travis grabbed Katie's hand and went to open the shed door. Katie stood perfectly still though.

"Is it safe to go in there?" She asked nervously, knowing Travis's taste for pranks. "Conner isn't in there waiting to douse me with water balloons or skirt chocolate syrup all over me or anything?"

Travis laughed and shook his head. "Nah, i got that one saved for Clarisse on Boxing day. And it'll be her cabin, not a shed. Just common." Travis opened the door and pulled Katie inside the medium-sized shed.

Katie's first impression of the inside was simply _Christmas._ A small Christmas tree was in the corner, decorated with what looked like crudely hand-made decorations. A small table and two chairs were in the middle, a cake shaped like a Christmas tree was the centerpiece of it. The walls had holy and garland all around them. The whole shed smelled like cinnamon and pine trees and was cozy and warm from a space heater in the corner. It seemed like a miniaturized version of a Christmas Katie would have at home.

"Wow Travis..." Katie was at a loss for words.

"Is it okay? I know its a little cramped, and i figured a cake would be good enough since we just had dinner a little while ago..." Travis trailed off nervously.

"It's perfect." Katie said simply, looking around to take in all the Christmas-y details. "You have everything. The tree. Garland. Holly. Mistletoe..." Katie stopped there, realizing that there was a bundle of mistletoe hanging right above them.

"Sorry. Conner helped me decorate. I'll just take it down." Travis reached to take down the bundle but Katie stopped him.

"Don't bother." She said before giving him a light peck on the cheek. "Thank you Travis."

"No, no," Travis said, touching the spot on his cheek where Katie had kissed him. "Thank you."

* * *

**A/N Merry Christmas :) i got a laptop today so i decided to test it out by writing a quick Tratie fic. I absolutely love this couple-ling even though they only say like 2 lines to each other the entire book series. Reviews are welcome :)**

**~Caitii**


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